Superconductor power lines for the energy transition

New superconducting technology could allow grid capacity to be rapidly upgraded for a future of green energy

Spotted: Increased electrification is vital for the transition to net zero. This is because electricity can be generated cleanly, from sources such as wind and solar. However, a lot more energy transmission infrastructure is going to be needed if every vehicle, boiler, and cooker is to be electric-powered. This is the problem clean tech company Veir is working to solve.

Veir has developed new superconducting power lines that allow 5 to 10 times more electricity to be transmitted than the current grid. The company has recently completed and energized a 100-feet overhead outdoor demonstration line using the novel superconducting and cooling approach. It followed an indoor demonstration last year that carried 4,000 Amperes of electrical current.

The company’s low-voltage, single-phase demonstration projects are the first time superconductors have been installed overhead. Veir’s proprietary technology cools the superconducting line using liquid nitrogen, allowing electricity transmission with only negligible losses and enabling the lines to operate at levels of electrical current that are much higher than is possible with conventional lines.

Earlier this year, Veir secured $24.9 million (around €23.7 million) in series A-2 funding, bringing the company’s total funding to date to $36.7 million (around €34.9 million) in private capital. The fundraise is enabling Veir to rapidly develop full product specifications for a commercial rollout of its transmission lines.

Delivering additional transmission capacity will allow the grid to keep up with the pace of electrification. In the database, Springwise has also spotted innovations like a process that electrifies cement production and electric motorcycles.

Written By: Lisa Magloff